Results 29,461-29,480 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: A Minister lost his job because of it. There is a new Minister, Deputy Bruton, who is determined to take this forward in a way that can allow the Government to deliver on the commitments in its programme. We will have a report from the auditor soon, giving advice to the Government on the integrity of the process. We will act on the back of that report. I assure the Deputy that, from the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the requirements of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended. Before a passport can issue the Passport Service must be satisfied as to the identity of the applicant and that the applicant is an Irish citizen. A vital document to verify the identity of an applicant is the applicant’s birth certificate. It provides unique primary identifying data such...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Energy Efficiency (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is part of the Public Sector Energy Reporting Programme. The Department has achieved a saving of 38% from 2009 to 2017. This is in excess of the public sector target of 33% by 2020, as set out in the National Energy Efficiency Plan. This was achieved in the Department including by the establishment of Energy Officers and teams; regular...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East Peace Process (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: The recent large-scale outbreak of attacks in both directions across the Gaza border has shown again how dangerous and easily combustible is the situation. There were hundreds of aerial attacks in each direction, causing the deaths of eight people. In addition, very large numbers of civilians on both sides had to spend hours in shelters. Hamas knows only too well the response that is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East Peace Process (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy and I share similar frustrations about what has happened in the past 12 to 18 months in the Middle East. Like many others, I await a new peace initiative led by the United States and it will only have a chance of success if there are a number of countries involved in the negotiations that may follow and if the content of the initiative is fair to both sides. There must be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East Peace Process (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I will happily brief the Deputy on the planned meeting which I hope will be held in January, but it would probably not be helpful for me to put all of the details into the public domain right now. What I can say is I have spoken to a number of Arab Foreign Ministers, including those of Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, and the Arab League. I have also spoken to a number of EU Ministers, primarily...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy. I will give a much longer response when four questions on the issue are taken together later. I hope to be allowed time to do so, given the number of questions involved.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I know. Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. This is an extraordinarily tragic situation. The Yemeni people have suffered over three years of unrelenting conflict and are in the midst of the world's largest humanitarian crisis. While I am glad to say recent weeks have seen indications that a ceasefire could finally be in prospect, there has also been an alarming increase in fighting around...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: Ireland's position is that the European Union makes collective decisions on trade. It is an EU competence. A number of member states spoke yesterday to make the point that, even though they had sold arms to Saudi Arabia in the past, they had a policy of not selling arms to countries currently involved in conflict and, therefore, were not continuing to sell to Saudi Arabia. I do not believe...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: To be realistic, Ireland is not a significant player in brokering a peace deal in Yemen. That said, we are a very active commentator and are part of the debate and conversation at an EU level. I made it very clear to Ms Federica Mogherini yesterday that countries like Ireland want detail on what is happening in a timely manner and all EU countries will get that information now. The truth...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: Last week, the British Government and the EU task force team, led by Michel Barnier, agreed a draft withdrawal agreement together with the outline of a political declaration on the future relationship. This is a very significant and welcome breakthrough in the Brexit process. An extraordinary European Council summit will be held on Sunday, 25 November so that the agreement, together with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I have repeatedly thanked Fianna Fáil and other parties in this House for the support they have given to the Government's negotiating position on Brexit. Political unity in Ireland has been a key factor in allowing us to take clear positions that have subsequently resulted in achieving solidarity across the EU and has played an important part in helping us to get a wording across the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is important to say that Brexit is not the Government's policy. It has never agreed with it and regrets that the United Kingdom has made the decision through the referendum to leave the European Union. Before that decision was made, this country was planning for how it would need to respond to protect core Irish interests and British-Irish relations in the context of Brexit. Last week...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: The most recent meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin on 2 November provided an opportunity for the two Governments to continue our discussions on legacy issues, security co-operation, east-west matters, on which I will go into a bit more detail, and political stability in Northern Ireland. It was co-chaired by myself and David Lidington, and the Minister for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: We looked at what the appropriate structure will be for east-west engagement because, as the Deputy rightly points out, at the moment we bump into British ministers all the time in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. That will not happen in the future so we are planning to set up the kind of structure that France and Germany, and Portugal and Spain, have, whereby, at least once a year,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: On the last question, until we had a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, BIIGC, in the summer there had not been one for years. I am not quite sure how many, but it had been quite a few years. We had one in the summer and one in the autumn and we are going to have one in the spring. That suggests there will be up to four a year. We are insisting on the structures of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: As I have already outlined to the House, our overriding priority currently is to work towards the finalisation of the draft withdrawal agreement and the political declaration on the EU-UK future relationship. However, any Brexit scenario will mean considerable change and impact for Ireland. We are taking forward extensive and detailed Brexit preparations and contingency work across all...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: With respect, our job is to keep calm and plan as opposed to responding to these issues in the way the Deputy sometimes does. I have just been with Mr. McKeever for an hour and a half at an export trade council. I am going to see him for a couple of hours later this evening at a Brexit stakeholders' meeting.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: We are talking to all of the key stakeholders. I will be talking to hundreds of businesses again on Friday, in Limerick. We will be doing the same in Letterkenny next week. We are planning in the areas in which we can predict outcomes and we are planning for all potential outcomes. We are not, however, going to add to a sense of panic. For the next two to three weeks, which is the time...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (20 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I have explained many times that some information is available to the Government during a negotiating process that one does not put into the public domain. We make no apologies for this as our job is to get a deal and we got one last week. We did it by trying to negotiate with Michel Barnier and his team, working with the United Kingdom to explore solutions, to find a fair way forward for...